Ducal Castle in Szczecin

The Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes stands on Castle Hill above the Oder and is the historic seat of the Griffins, rulers of the Duchy of Pomerania. Today it is also the name of the cultural institution that manages the building. The building is entered in the heritage register, which describes it as brick and Renaissance.

From stronghold to Renaissance castle

Before 1124 there was a Slavic stronghold on the hill with the wooden court of Duke Warcisław I. The beginnings of the present castle go back to 1346, when Barnim III began to build the so-called stone house. In 1428 the late Gothic south wing was built. After a fire in 1530 the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, and in 1573-1582 Duke John Frederick carried out a general reconstruction, closing the courtyard with four wings. At the beginning of the 17th century a museum wing was added, the first building in the region built with a museum in mind.

Prussian garrison, war, reconstruction

After the Griffins died out, the castle was from 1637 the seat of the Swedish governor, and from 1720 of a Prussian garrison. In the 19th century the garrison did the greatest damage, and in 1944 the castle was badly destroyed in air raids. Securing of the ruins began in 1946, when a crypt with the sarcophagi of the Dukes of Pomerania was discovered. The castle was rebuilt in 1958-1980, and the conservation and renovation designs for 1958-1970 were prepared by Stanisław Latour. Its Renaissance appearance was restored, with the structure reconstructed on the basis of an engraving by Merian.

The crypt and sarcophagi

Beneath the north wing survive the remains of the Gothic Church of St Otto and a 14th-century crypt, discovered after the war. According to the Wikipedia entry, the ducal sarcophagi are open to visitors in the crypt, and the dukes' bones were placed in St James' Cathedral, while their clothing and jewels went to the National Museum in Szczecin and are shown in the exhibition “The Golden Age of Pomerania”. Nearby places are described in the entries for St James' Cathedral Basilica and the National Museum.

What goes on here today

The castle houses the cultural centre “Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes” with the Bogislaw I Concert Hall, exhibition rooms and the “Zamek” cinema, the Krypta Theatre, the Piwnica Przy Krypcie cabaret, and the Opera at the Castle as a separate institution. The castle's website describes the permanent exhibition “The Secret of the Griffins” in the north wing and the Bell Tower, the tallest of the castle's towers, which serves as a viewpoint with a panorama of the castle and Szczecin.

In 2017 the ceiling collapsed on the second level of the north wing. No one was hurt, because the wing had been closed to visitors two weeks earlier after cracks were detected. According to the Wikipedia entry, the wing was reopened to visitors on 25 October 2025.

Practical information

• Address: Korsarzy Street 34, Szczecin (Old Town).
• Opening hours, temporary exhibitions and the scope of the visit change, so check them on the castle's website before your visit.
• Accessibility: the building is partly accessible to wheelchair users; confirm on site.
• Next door: Chrobry Embankment, Old Town Hall and the Maiden Tower.